PFC Mike Fyler
US Marines-Infantry
E Company 2nd Battalion 8th Marines
Cuban Missle Crisis May ’62- Sept ‘66
US Marines-Infantry
E Company 2nd Battalion 8th Marines
Cuban Missle Crisis May ’62- Sept ‘66
Mike Fyler was born February 20th, 1942 in Torrington, CT. After graduating from Torrington High School in 1960, he went to work at the Torrington Company as a machinist. In those days there was plenty of manufacturing in Connecticut and the Torrington Company was the largest makers of ball bearings at that time.
On May 7th 1962 Mike and a friend enlisted with the Marines. They took a train from Hartford to Yemassee, SC and reported to boot camp at Parris Island. After 3 months of basic training Mike went to Camp Geiger In North Carolina located near Camp Lejeune. There he received Infantry training including how to uses various weapons with a heavy emphasis on rifle training. After 30 days of training at Camp Geiger he received a 10 day leave and returned to Hartford.
Mike returned to Camp Lejeune in Oct ’62 at the height of the Cold War. Tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union were very high and then The Cuban Missile Crisis erupted. On Oct. 14th the US learned from high altitude photographs taken by a U-2 spy plane, that the Soviet Union had delivered and installed medium range nuclear-armed ballistic missiles on the Island of Cuba. Cuba is less than 300 miles from Miami, FL. and the US viewed this as a threat to its national security. The next 13 days would play out as one of the tensest periods in US history. President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation on television to describe the discovery of the missiles and his intention to implement a naval blockade around the island of Cuba.
Mike learned that his unit would be shipping out to be part of the Naval blockade. His unit boarded the USS Sandoval, an attack transport, and headed for the waters off of Cuba. There the Marines conducted mock landing drills in preparation for an invasion of Cuba in the event the Soviet Union did not remove their missiles. Mike was the net handler. His job was to secure the cargo nets and lower them into the Higgins boats next to the USS Sandoval. The Marines would climb down the nets 3 at a time into the waiting boats. They would then attempt to get the 10 amphibious boats containing 30 Marines each in a straight line and headed toward the beaches in unison.
Eventually the call came for everyone to put on their life preservers and be ready to go. This would not be a drill. I asked Mike if the guys were scared. He said, “no, we were 20 years old; we were all gung-ho”. Mike said the Marines knew very little of showdown between Washington and Moscow. About an hour later they were told to stand down. Later he would learn that Khrushchev ordered the missiles be removed. They stayed off the coast of Cuba to make sure the missiles were being withdrawn and eventually his company returned to Morehead City, NC just before Thanksgiving.
Mike’s unit was sent to conduct mock warfare games in numerous places in Europe, the Greek Islands and Keflavivk, Iceland. His enlistment was extended 4 months as the buildup for Vietnam was beginning. Mike volunteered for Vietnam but with less than a year remaining on his enlistment he was turned down. He was discharged from the Marines on September 6th 1966.
Mike joined the US Postal Service and retired after 37 years. In 1979 he joined the Air Force Reserves and worked in a Civil Engineering capacity for 20 years. Mike has been married for 52 years and he and his wife have 8 grandchildren. At the age of 20 Mike went to the brink of war in order to make the world a safer place.
On May 7th 1962 Mike and a friend enlisted with the Marines. They took a train from Hartford to Yemassee, SC and reported to boot camp at Parris Island. After 3 months of basic training Mike went to Camp Geiger In North Carolina located near Camp Lejeune. There he received Infantry training including how to uses various weapons with a heavy emphasis on rifle training. After 30 days of training at Camp Geiger he received a 10 day leave and returned to Hartford.
Mike returned to Camp Lejeune in Oct ’62 at the height of the Cold War. Tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union were very high and then The Cuban Missile Crisis erupted. On Oct. 14th the US learned from high altitude photographs taken by a U-2 spy plane, that the Soviet Union had delivered and installed medium range nuclear-armed ballistic missiles on the Island of Cuba. Cuba is less than 300 miles from Miami, FL. and the US viewed this as a threat to its national security. The next 13 days would play out as one of the tensest periods in US history. President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation on television to describe the discovery of the missiles and his intention to implement a naval blockade around the island of Cuba.
Mike learned that his unit would be shipping out to be part of the Naval blockade. His unit boarded the USS Sandoval, an attack transport, and headed for the waters off of Cuba. There the Marines conducted mock landing drills in preparation for an invasion of Cuba in the event the Soviet Union did not remove their missiles. Mike was the net handler. His job was to secure the cargo nets and lower them into the Higgins boats next to the USS Sandoval. The Marines would climb down the nets 3 at a time into the waiting boats. They would then attempt to get the 10 amphibious boats containing 30 Marines each in a straight line and headed toward the beaches in unison.
Eventually the call came for everyone to put on their life preservers and be ready to go. This would not be a drill. I asked Mike if the guys were scared. He said, “no, we were 20 years old; we were all gung-ho”. Mike said the Marines knew very little of showdown between Washington and Moscow. About an hour later they were told to stand down. Later he would learn that Khrushchev ordered the missiles be removed. They stayed off the coast of Cuba to make sure the missiles were being withdrawn and eventually his company returned to Morehead City, NC just before Thanksgiving.
Mike’s unit was sent to conduct mock warfare games in numerous places in Europe, the Greek Islands and Keflavivk, Iceland. His enlistment was extended 4 months as the buildup for Vietnam was beginning. Mike volunteered for Vietnam but with less than a year remaining on his enlistment he was turned down. He was discharged from the Marines on September 6th 1966.
Mike joined the US Postal Service and retired after 37 years. In 1979 he joined the Air Force Reserves and worked in a Civil Engineering capacity for 20 years. Mike has been married for 52 years and he and his wife have 8 grandchildren. At the age of 20 Mike went to the brink of war in order to make the world a safer place.